Concrete Retaining Walls in Auburn, WA

Retaining walls in Auburn: what to know

Auburn’s own hazard page points to where landslides start: steep hillsides, ravines, and plateaus bordering the Green River Valley, with road cuts along West Valley Highway and ravines near Big Soos Creek as areas of concern. Heavy rain is the usual trigger. A wall on Lea Hill, West Hill, or any ravine-edge lot has to account for the water that will reach it, not only the soil it holds.

Walls on the flat valley floor are a different problem. The ground is level, so the trouble is soft soil and shallow groundwater rather than slope. The footing is carried down to firm native ground, and the wall drain needs an outlet with real fall, which flat sites can struggle to offer.

Permits and rules in Auburn

Washington’s baseline puts a permit and engineered plans on any wall over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, and on shorter walls that carry a driveway, building, or other surcharge. In Auburn, Community Development reviews those through MyBuildingPermit.com, the director decides whether critical area review applies, and the floodplain chapter covers the Special Flood Hazard Area. We confirm with Auburn Building Services and Permitting whether your wall needs plans before we quote.

Rules change and vary by parcel, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.

How we approach it

Check city critical area and flood maps before fixing the wall location
Split a tall cut on a ravine-edge lot into tiers where possible
Bear footings on firm native ground, not topsoil or soft valley fill
Give the wall drain an outlet with real fall, not a dead end

For the full process, see our Retaining Walls page.

Building in the cold months? See our guide to winter concrete pours.

Our retaining walls work, serving Auburn

Examples of our work. We build retaining walls in Auburn and the cities around it. See all of our work

Questions from Auburn homeowners

Does a retaining wall on my Auburn hillside lot trigger critical area review?

It can. Auburn’s code leaves it to the director to decide, based on the presence or proximity of mapped critical areas or indicators. The city lists landslides on steep slopes and ravines bordering the valley, so we look at the maps and the slope first.

Do I need an engineer for a 3-foot wall that holds up my Auburn driveway?

Probably. Washington’s building code treats a wall carrying a driveway, building, or similar load as surcharged, and those generally need a permit and engineered plans even under four feet. The Permit Center makes the call for your site.

Can I put a retaining wall right at the sidewalk edge in Auburn?

Only after the line is found. Work in the public way takes a city construction permit, and the abutting owner stays responsible for the sidewalk next to the wall. Wall position starts with locating the right-of-way line.